Spending
Time With the Great White Sharks- How long?
The shark cage takes upto 5 people at once and with 10-15
people on-board, each person gets several 15-30 min dives
during the day. Trips often last 4-5 hours with the first
hour spent finding the sharks and attracting them to the boat
with bait. It of course depends on how long everyone wants
to spend in the cage, but those who want to can get plenty
of time viewing underwater.
Who Can Dive With Great
White Sharks?
Everyone!! We try not to use scuba equipment so much these
days, as we find that the noise and bubbles can deter the
sharks- and we know you want to see them right up close!!
So even those of you without any diving certification can
still enjoy this awesome experience.
You
do NOT have to be a qualified diver!
The best way
to see the sharks is to simply hold your breath!
Viewing Great White
Sharks
For those who aren't keen on smelling a shark's breath, but
are still interested in seeing them, there are plenty of shark
viewing opportunities on the boat. There are special platforms
you can sit on that provide excellent photo opportunities
of the sharks especially as the crew are "chumming"
and "baiting" them. Since Great White Sharks are
surface feeders you can get a good look at the 16 rows of
teeth. (info:about.com).
Best
Time to Dive with Great White Sharks
Winter is the best time to dive with sharks from May to October.
Although getting to see the sharks is not guaranteed, the
success rate is very high, around 95%. During winter months
you may see 10-20 different sharks in a single day!!
The sharks are still around during the summer months but not
in such dense numbers. (info:about.com).
Attracting the sharks and Chumming
We don’t chum any more, its now a highly regulated system-
each boat is allowed only 25Kg of bait- normally around 15
large tuna heads which they throw on ropes to attract the
sharks. We try not to let them take the bait as once its all
used up, the boat has to return.
Transportation
to the location from Cape Town & surrounds
The 2 hour journey is a great opportunity to take in the sights
of the Western Cape. Travelling over the dramatic Sir Lowries
Pass and through Hermanus- the Whale Watching
Capital of South Africa- there is plenty to see along the
way.
We have more than adequate Insurance
Cover which includes; R20 million Public Liability, R20 million
Passenger Liability on each bus, R5 million Passenger liability
on our boat and Personal Accident Insurance on all our bus
drivers.
We hold valid Road Carrier Permits on our buses, and our drivers
are all Public Drivers Permit holders.
Certification and Operator Code
of Conduct
We are in possession of a valid White Shark Cage Diving Operators
Permit (issued by the South African Government), enabling
us to work within the Dyer Island nature reserve area (copy
of permit available upon request). Only long-standing operators
who comply with certain safety regulations and code of conduct
are entitled to this permit. All our facilities are closely
inspected by authorities on an annual basis, ensuring maximum
safety for all our guests.
Crew
Each crewmember is highly qualified in his/her specific field
and together have more than 15 years experience working with
great white sharks. Crew qualifications consist of; A1 (1)
commercially licensed skippers, level 3 Medics; Satour Registered
specialised tour guides; Dive Masters and qualified shark
handlers.
All our crew have done SAMSA compliant Fire-Fighters and Life-Raft
Courses and our skippers are licensed with ICASA (independent
Commission Authority of SA), as well as SAMSA (SA Maritime
and Safety Authority). A step-by-step emergency flow chart
is available inside the cabin of our vessel, at all times.
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